1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fuel cell assembling method and a fuel cell assembling apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a fuel cell, a cell stack, which is a plurality of cells stacked on each other, is sandwiched in a compressed state between end plates respectively disposed at opposite ends of the cell stack in the cell stacking direction, and the end plates are coupled to each other by tension plates.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-061965 (JP 2010-061965 A) describes an example of a method of assembling the above-described fuel cell. According to JP 2010-061965 A, one of end plates is fixed to tension plates in advance. Then, while a compressive load is applied to the cell stack, the compressive load is measured. When the compressive load reaches a prescribed value, the other end plate is fixed to the tension plates.
However, according to the fuel cell assembling method as described above, a tensile load, which is a reaction force against the compressive load, is applied to the tension plates and the end plates only after the tension plates and the end plates are fixed together. Hence, the tension plates and the end plates may be extended and deformed after the tension plates and the end plates are fixed together and thus the cell stack may be loosened, resulting in reduction in the compressive load acting on the cell stack. Reduction in the compressive load acting on the cell stack may cause, for example, leakage of fuel gas and oxidation gas flowing through the cell stack.